Bathed in White
by Code Green
Summary: Feeling particularly lonely on a snowy winter night, Sarah makes a Christmas wish and finds that she isn't the only one alone.


**No thanks to all the Christmas carols I've been listening to recently, I wanted to write a Christmas Labyrinth story. So, here it is. My oneshot Christmas story about winter in the Underground. Enjoy, and please review!**

Snowflakes, glistening and dancing, flitted gracefully from dark, heavy clouds and rested on the frozen earth below. They collected together, like a swarm of fairies, on the ground, building up higher and higher, covering the New York forest in a blanket of pure white. The snow sparkled as it clung to great pine trees and fences. It made everything silent, everything peaceful and beautiful.

Deep hazel eyes gazed out onto the lonely blanket of snow, and a deep sigh resonated from the owner, frosting against the window.

Sarah reached up a finger and traced a swirl pattern into the frost on the window, and then she turned away from the view and looked about her large apartment that her aunt and uncle had blessed her with. She would be spending this Christmas Eve in their large mansion deep in the woods of upstate New York, and she was lonely. Her family was gone, out shopping again for more of the following day's celebrations, and Sarah had remained back, decorating her apartment.

A large Christmas tree, cut from the pine farm itself, stood a short distance away from a blazing fireplace. Christmas lights glittered merrily in the boughs of deep green and brown, and ornaments shone in the firelight, happy and carefree. Beneath the tree were several presents, not for Sarah herself, but for the friends she had bought the gifts for.

A large leather couch sat before the twisting fire, and next to that was a coffee table with a steaming mug of hot cocoa waiting on it. Sarah moved to the cocoa and gathered the mug in her hands. It instantly warmed her heart just as her fuzzy sweatshirt, jeans, and furry socks warmed her body. Yet, even as she took a sip from her cocoa, her loneliness was not quenched.

It had been two years since she had last lived at home. She was attending college now in upstate New York, and so lived with her extended family. Her aunt and uncle were wonderful people, no doubt about that, but they were constantly busy, with little time for Sarah, and she was acting the part of renting their extra apartment. Not that Sarah could complain. The apartment was glorious, with a small kitchen, huge furniture, a fireplace, a bathroom, and a window seat, but those luxuries couldn't fill up the empty void that resided within her this Christmas season. She felt like the snow outside, quiet, timid, and sad. Snow always seemed sad to her, and she could understand it now. It was so beautiful, but seemed to hold some sort of deep pain, some strong force of loneliness.

"I need you," she sighed, watching the smoke rising from her mug. "Every now and then, for no reason at all, I need you."

"What can we do for you, my lady?" a chipper voice called, and Sarah turned her head to see Sir Didymus, the little fox from her adventures so long ago, peeping up at her from beneath the Christmas tree. Next to him sat Hoggle, one of Sarah's dearest friends, an adorable, gruff dwarf who could always make her laugh. Towering nearly above the tree was Ludo, perfect for hugging and speaking to, for he had the mind of a child and was never troubled with adult things.

"I am alone, Sir Didymus," Sarah smiled, getting up from her couch and giving each of them a hug. "I'm just feeling lonely on this particular Christmas Eve."

"Well, we're here for ya, Sarah," Hoggle said easily. "What is that whiteness out the window?"

"Snow, Hoggle. Have you never seen snow?" Sarah asked.

"No. Goblin King not like snow," Ludo mumbled.

"Not true, necessarily. He just never lets it snow, my lady," Sir Didymus bowed. "Tis too lonely for his liking. Perhaps, had he someone to enjoy it with, he wouldn't feel so lonely."

"The Goblin King gets lonely?" Sarah asked, an eyebrow arched. "Really?"

"Come now. He does have feelings like the rest of us," Hoggle said. "Though I don't see why we should talk about him."

"What is the king doing this Christmas Eve?" Sarah inquired.

"Last we seen him, he was sitting his royal body in his monster chair," Hoggle said, rolling his eyes.

"He did have rather a crestfallen look upon his face, if I recall," Didymus mused.

The Goblin King? Alone? Really. Well, this was quite interesting. Sarah had never thought about that before.

"Is he getting any presents for Christmas?" she said, reaching a hand beneath the Christmas tree and pulling out three presents.

"Why would he? He has everything he could want," Sir Didymus frowned.

"He needs a friend most," Sarah said to herself and then shook her head. "Here. I bought these for you."

She handed a small package to each of her friends and then sat back and smiled as they opened their presents.

She had tastefully found a present for each of her friends. Sir Didymus was given a hand-sewn cape to keep him warm in the cold winter and make him look more elegant. Ludo had a great teddy bear. Sarah had seen the stuffed animal and thought it was perfect for Ludo, whom she considered to be her personal teddy bear. Hoggle was delighted to see a whole package of rings and gems waiting for him, and he proudly showed them to the others.

"My lady, I'm afraid we have brought nothing for you," Didymus said, looking up at Sarah with bright eyes.

"Of course you have," Sarah smiled kindly. "You brought yourselves. That was the perfect gift. Now, you all head on back. I'm sure it's getting late in your world and you have some delicious dinners waiting."

"We do indeed," Hoggle nodded. "We'll see you, Sarah."

"Bye, Sawah," Ludo smiled, and then the three disappeared.

Sarah flopped back onto her couch and gazed at the Christmas lights on the tree, wondering about the Labyrinth's mysterious king. Was he really all alone? She had never thought about that before. Maybe that was why he had tried to keep Toby and her in the Underground so badly. He had no one to relate to or share his kingdom with.

Christmas Eve was a perfectly terrible time to be by oneself, and Sarah knew that personally! It just wasn't fair for Jareth to be by himself too!

"Linus and Lucy" started playing from next to Sarah's bed, and she rushed off the couch and ran to her cell phone. She opened it up and spoke.

"Hello?"

"Sarah? This is Uncle Jeff. I'm sorry to say this, my dear, but your aunt and I are going to be held up in town overnight. There's a rather heavy snowstorm coming in, and we won't be able to drive home. Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Yes," Sarah said calmly.

"Just stay warm in there. Keep your fire going, because the power will probably die out."

"Yes sir. We'll see you tomorrow, Sarah. I'm sorry, Honey."

"That's okay."

Sarah hung up and then stood, her arms folded across her chest, staring at the fire. Being alone during the holidays was no fun at all, and she knew Jareth probably wasn't having any fun at all either. And besides the fact that he was the Goblin King and had tried to trick her multiple times, and that she hadn't seen him in over five years, Sarah felt sympathy for her fallen adversary. Maybe it was time to make amends.

"I wish the Goblin King would come," she said slowly, deep in thought.

There was a large exploding sound from outside, as snow weighed down a power line and snapped it in half, and all the lights and heat in the immense house turned off. Sarah jumped, and moved quickly towards the fire, knowing that she would be kept warm there. Her eyes darted across the dark shadows of her room and came to rest on the red Christmas ornaments on her tree and on the fire reflecting there.

The shadows in one corner of the room shifted, and Sarah couldn't help but shudder.

"Hello?" she whispered.

"Hello, Sarah."

His voice sent another course of shudders through her, but she stood strong.

"You came, Goblin King," she said bravely.

"You called."

He stepped towards the fire, his arms folded across his chest. He was dressed in a white, open shirt, a white cloak, with the hood pulled up over his magnificent hair, brown breeches, and brown boots. Sarah could see ice particles glistening in the parts of his hair that were visible, and he looked positively cold, as well as handsome.

"Come over to the fire, Jareth. You must be freezing," she spoke softly, and his eyes darted to her face, the multi-colored orbs wide with interest.

"You would use my name."

"I'm not afraid of you anymore," Sarah said boldly. "You were the villain of my stories, but I defeated you and therefore have no reason to fear anymore. I'm not a child anymore, Jareth."

"Indeed you aren't," he grinned, stopping in front of her and tilting his head slightly so he could stare right into her face, his face even with hers. "Indeed you aren't," he breathed.

"I brought you here so that you…could have a friend…on Christmas Eve," Sarah rushed. "Not so you could try and intimidate me."

"Do I intimidate you, Sarah?"

Her name on his lips made Sarah nearly melt into a puddle of mush.

"A friend informed me that you don't like snow," she said, quickly changing the subject.

"I never did say that," Jareth said with a wave of his hand as he moved closer to the fire.

"It makes you lonely."

"Sarah, I am always lonely."

"You've changed," Sarah said quietly.

"Have I changed, or has your opinion of me changed?" Jareth asked, an eyebrow arched.

She didn't answer, and he smiled with satisfaction.

"Where's Toby?" he managed to ask, warming his gloved hands against the fire.

"Safe, and away from you."

"So you aren't afraid of me anymore, you say?" he chuckled. "You immediately attempt to protect your brother. I think you are somewhat afraid of me, love."

Sarah held her head high and turned away from him.

"If you say so, Goblin King."

"I think, more than being afraid of me," Jareth whispered against her ear, smiling when she shivered, "you're afraid of always being alone."

His hands found her shoulders and he rubbed them gently, his lips moving against her ear.

"I missed you, Sarah."

"Is the Goblin King allowed to miss anyone?" Sarah asked, turning her head to look up into his face.

"You tore me in half when you refused me."

"I'm sorry."

"Would you care to remedy that?"

"Over the past few years, I haven't been able to forget about you. I'll be honest," Sarah sighed. "There's just no one who compares to you."

Now it was his turn to remain silent, and she turned fully to look up into his face.

"You were everything I ever wanted. Dark, mysterious, cruel, and powerful, yet lonely and loving, in need of someone who could keep your world from falling down, who could share the skies within your eyes and the moon within your heart."

"That was rather a nasty trick on my part, I admit," Jareth whispered, his breath brushing against her lips. "And I was going to be more cruel, but I realized you were just a young girl, confused and uncertain."

"How could you be more cruel?"

He smiled and pressed his lips to hers, surprising her with his speed and the gentleness of his touch. He tasted of Christmas. Within his kiss was cinnamon and magic, warmth of a blazing fireplace and comfort of a thick, fluffy blanket. His kiss swore to her that she wouldn't be alone, promised and reassured her of everything she already believed. He loved her. He had from the beginning. And there was nothing more that she wanted for Christmas.

Sarah threw her arms around him and held him close, responding to his kiss. There was nothing aggressive or cruel about this kiss, nothing icy or frigid like the winter breeze outside. It was soft and gentle, and Jareth smiled against her touch, tasting hot chocolate on her lips.

"What is this devilishly delightful flavor?" he asked against her lips, and she laughed, pulling her mouth away from his.

"Hot chocolate, your majesty. Would you try some?"

"I would," he grinned, and she handed him the mug of steaming liquid.

His eyes closed with sheer pleasure as he drank, enjoying the richness and deep chocolate flavor.

"Close to heaven, but not half as close as that kiss," he said, putting the mug down. "Will you come with me, just until your relatives come home?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded, and he took her in his arms.

She found herself, next, standing in a great square within the Labyrinth, dressed in a thick white fur dress that clung neatly to her form, warming her.

"For my queen," Jareth smiled, pulling a fur hood over her head before taking her gloved hands in his.

"Why so much covering when it isn't snowing?" Sarah asked, smiling up into his face.

"Oh, it isn't?"

She gasped as snowflakes started swirling about them, and she turned her head when she heard Sir Didymus let out an excited yelp from a nearby bench.

"It's snowing!" he yelped. "Ambroscious! Sir Ludo! Sir Hoggle! It's snowing!"

"You aren't feeling so lonely anymore?" Sarah grinned up at her king.

"No," Jareth smiled gently. "Stay with me, Sarah?"

"I will," she said, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him again. "I love you."

"And I love you."

As Sir Didymus, Ambroscious, Hoggle, Ludo, and the goblins danced about the new king and queen of the Labyrinth, the snow fell, twirling and weaving amongst them. Sarah and Jareth never noticed it, however, for their minds were solely preoccupied with each other. Neither of them, they knew, would ever be lonely again.


End file.
